Rail-joint.



J. W. RYAN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION I'I'LED NOV. 21, 1914.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

JWMZ

THE NORRIS PETERS c0, PHOTG-LITHOU WASHINGTON. D. c.

J. W. RYAN.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 21, 1914.

Patented Mar. 23, 11915.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 2.

FFTFH JOHN WILLIAM RYAN, or SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

RAIL-JOINT.

riaaise.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Application filed November 21, 1914. Serial No. 873,328.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that T, J OHN W. RYAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints, and its primary object is to provide a rail joint embodying connecting members which are adapted to be united without the use of bolts or analogous fastenings liable to become loose or broken, and which when applied will support and hold the rails solidly against either vertical or lateral deflection.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint combining joint plates and a chair composed of sections adapted to be firmly coupled together to support and hold the rails united, and which will also serve to prevent the rails from creeping while permitting expansion and contraction thereof under climatic changes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rail joint in which the members will be firmly anchored in the road bed and give a maximum amount of supporting surface, and in which such members are united by fastening means acting to draw them securely together in such a way as to insure of their closer application to the rails proportionately to the load Weight borne by the rails, and which, nevertheless, may be applied and removed with great facility.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail joint embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 are inner perspective views of the joint sections disassembled. Fig. 7 is an outer perspective view of one of the joint sections.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 desi nate the meeting ends of railway rails, the webs of which are formed in the usual manner with the elongated or elliptical bolt holes 3. These rails are of the construction in common use, each consisting of a head 4t, base 5 and connecting web 6.

The improved joint comprises two connecting members 7 and 8, each of Said members consisting of an angle joint or fish plate 9, a base plate 10, and upright plates, feet or standards 11.

Each fish or joint plate 9 embodies a vertical portion 12 to bear against the webs of the rails, a horizontal base portion 13, forming a chair or seat for the bases of the rails, and an angular connecting portion 14 adapted to overlie and engage the upper inclined face of the base of a rail. The plate 12 of one of the joint plates is provided with dowel pins or projections 15 adapted to engage the holes 3 in the rail webs, whereby the rails are held from creeping, while permitted to have free expansion and contraction under climatic changes.

The base portions 13 of the joint plates cooperate to provide a supporting chair for the rail ends, and these base portions of the joint plates are cast integral with the respective standards 11 of the joint sections, the standards being preferably in turn cast integral with the base plates 10. The plates 10 are horizontally disposed when connected in use and are embedded with the standards in the road bed, by which a solid support for the rail ends is provided. The aggregate width of the base plate is preferably much greater than the width of the rails and joint plates, and the standards 11 are coextensivein width at their top and bottom portions with the base plates and the bottom portions of the joint plates and have their outer and inner edges 16 and 17 sloping upwardly in relatively converging relation, providing a joint structure which is approximately of pyramidal form, whereby great strength and durability are obtained and a structure adapted to be embedded in the road bed against any possibility of casual displacement. The inner edges 17 of the standards 11 are arranged at an angle somewhat less than a right angle to the base plates 10, by which the meeting edges of registering standards of the joint sections are caused to diverge slightly upwardly and outwardly when the joint sections are disposed in position for application, thus disposing the joint plates at an angle to each other, whereby the upper portions of the joint sections are adapted when drawn together to bring the joint plates so that their bases will assume a horizontal position in a common plane, thus forcing the joint plates toward each other so as-to firmly engage them with the rails.

The pressure of the rails and rolling stock in this connection further tends to tilt the joint plates toward each other, so that the greater the pressure upon the ends of the rails the greater the holding or clamping action of the joint plates will be. 7

The upper portions of .the standards 11 of the joint section 7 are provided with holding arms 18 cast integral therewith and adapted to extend horizontally across the standards of the joint section 8 and on opposite sides thereof, the holding arms being arranged in pairs. The upper edges of these holding arms are flush with the upper edges of the plates and consequently increase the thickness of the standards beneath the joint plate, whereby such plates are reinforced and a firmer foundation for the joint plates is furnished. When the section sare assembled the arms 16 project beyond the outer end edges of the standards of the section 8 and are formed with slots 19 to receive locking wedges 20, by which the joint sections are firmly clamped together. The Wedges 20 are adapted to fit within cutaway portions or recesses 21 formed in the upper portions of the edges ofthestandards 11 of the joint section 8, the said cutaway portions being so formed as to present a normally vertical abutment surface 22 and a horizontal shoulder 23. The Wedges 20 rest uponthe shoulders 23 and against the abutments 22 and are so formed as to exert a horizontal transverse drawing action to draw the sections 7 and 8 together, whereby, in conjunction with the weight of the rails resting upon the bottoms of the joint plates, the joint sections will be bent inwardly at the upper portions thereof to clamp the joint plates 9 in engagement with the rails, the holding pressure of the plates being proportionately increased as the load upon the rails increases, whereby vertical deflection of the rail ends is prevented. It will be apparent also that while the projections 15 prevent the rails from creeping, the wedges in exerting a locking action also hold the sections of the joint, as well as the rails from lateral or transverse movements.

For the purpose of holding the base portions of the joint sectionsassembled holding arms 24 are cast integral with the central standard of the section 7 and project on opposite sides beyond the central standard of the section 8, which ends of the arms are formed with slots 25 receiving a wedge 26, forming a lock corresponding with the wedge locks previously described. This wedge 26 seats in a notch or recess 27 formed in the central standard of the joint section 8, whereby horizontal and vertical abutment surfaces 28 and 29 are provided against which the wedge bears to hold said joint section from relative lateral and vertical movements.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, the construction and mode of use of my improved rail joint will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the invention provides a joint which is simple of construction, composed of parts adapted to be easily and conveniently assembled and disassembled, and adapted to be drawn and locked firmly together to hold the rails against vertical, lateral and creeping movements. Also it will be seen that the invention provides a rail joint and chair, with a base foundation therefor, which is of great structural strength and is adapted to be anchored in the road bed against any possibility of casual disconnection.

I claim 1. A rail joint comprising joint plates, base plates disposed parallel with the joint plates, uprights connecting the base plates with the respective joint plates, and wedge fastenings for drawing the uprights together to hold the base plates in operative relation and the joint plates in position to support and clamp the rails.

2. A rail joint comprising joint plates, having base portions, base plates parallel with the base portions of the joint plates, uprights connecting the base plates with the bases of the joint plates, opposing faces of said uprights being arranged at a normal upwardly diverging angle, a wedge connection for drawing said uprights together to hold the base plates in operative relation and to draw the joint plates into rail supporting and clamping position.

3. A rail joint comprising angle joint plates, each having a base portion, base plates below the base portions of the joint plates, uprights connecting the base plates with the respective joint plates, one of said set of uprights having inclined surfaces, coupling projections extending from the other set of uprights on opposite sides of the first-named uprights and beyond the inclined faces of the latter, and keys extending through said projections and arranged to engage the said inclined faces of the first named uprights, whereby to hold the parts in assembled relation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WVILLIAM RYAN.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM M. GRADY, GEORGE KABURECK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, v Washington, D. C. 

